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Entertainment Journalist Stephanie Smith-Strickland

What is your name and profession?

“My name is Stephanie Smith-Strickland and I’m a freelancer. I do content strategy and copywriting. I also write about music and culture.” 

Is your writing style, journalistic or reporter? 

“My favorite thing to do is feature stories. I wouldn’t call myself an investigative journalist but I would definitely say that I am a music and culture journalist.” 

What does ‘writing’ means to you?

“Writing is the medium of expression, I am most comfortable with. I think that writing is a medium that gives you the opportunity to work through your thoughts and it allows you to get other perspectives. Writing for me is an optimal tool of communication.”

What makes a writer ‘profound?

“I don’t necessarily think there is a set of characteristics, I could be wrong but one of the most important parts of writing is actually reading, being able to do research, and also critical thinking. You can go and find information but It’s also the way you process that information and connect it to a larger point.”  

What are your responsibilities as a freelance writer, are you under contract or are you independent?

“Right now I do Snapchat copywriting a lot of that stuff with the copy that comes from user generated content, they have producers and story editors to create the copy. I am also a part of Netflix Strong Black Lead. I also write content for several other publications if they have a profile or I will pitch to an editor to see if they will take my story.” 

How do you distinguish yourself from other writers ?

“I think a lot of that comes down to voice. Everyone has a way of approaching a story. Specifically with music and writing about celebrities, I always think of how I can humanize them. People who create Hip-Hop have preconceived notions about them but they are very much like regular people.”  

Are you given the creative freedom to curate topics or are you commissioned particular projects to explore?

“A little bit of both, I miss being an editor. With publication budget constraints, the editor you are interfacing might have a specific niche. If you are the editor you get to call the shots.”

You did an exclusive with rapper French Montana in his home for Billboard Weekly. Also, in this past week you interviewed artist Masego. What are your story telling and feature techniques when interviewing and writing an exclusive?

“It depends, French Montana had an album he was releasing he didn’t have an at home studio, to be able to be steady in the studio. Another favorite story I covered was 21 Savage’s immigration, after doing research on black immigrants and the over index. This is the problem with being black in this country.

I will also talk to editors to shape the story as well.” 

What is your personal or professional motto?

 “I don’t really have a personal or professional motto. I guess what’s important to me, working in a creative setting is to be open and support our community, I see freelancers who don’t want to give other writers access to editors, because they don’t want you to take work from them. I try to be conscious to not be like that. I believe creative ideas bring better work. It’s especially important with black creatives- it’s already harder to get into these positions being the only one in the room isn’t it a good thing. You should be open to inviting new people like ourselves. The less people do that the more it just perpetuates that system.”

At what point in your life did you first learn about your field of work? What called you to it?

'“I was writing all of my life. I want to break into creative writing, I know one doesn’t just get up and create a book. Now, I am in Los Angeles and I really want to do film and television writing, I am currently trying to figure that out.”

What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned on negotiating your worth as a writer/contributor?

“Saying no, if I’m being 100% transparent, I have gotten better in the last year. I’ve just been feeling burned out. It has to make sense in a time or budget perspective or if I think it will allow me to be around emerging artists and learning. Paying me my rate means you respect my work so I could do the best possible job.”

What famous writers or authors have inspired you or your technique in writing?

“Creative writing is a lot different from journalistic writing, but my favorite authors are Neil Galman, Octavia Butler. I enjoy any black female Sci-fi and Fantasy writers as well.” 

What does success mean to you?

“So I am still trying to find success, I feel success is being able to do only the things I am enjoying. Sometimes I am taking jobs because I need the money, but ultimately I want to get to a position where I am writing about things that are of interest to me. Like other components in our community of black creatives. I have a lot of friends that are first generation and have come to this country from Africa. The narrative around Africa isn’t from African people, I want us to be doing this for us and controlling the narrative in the highest level.” 

What's your favorite thing to come home to after a long day of work?

 “At times taking a break, when I feel overwhelmed knowing when to log-off and completely disengage.” 

 Has learning from a mistake ever led you to success?

“For sure. I think that mistakes always lead to success, mistakes are part of the process. When I’d make a mistake, I would beat myself up. Now, I analyze what was a fault in the strategy and how I can avoid it in the future. That’s when I started learning from my mistakes, when I started looking at them in that way.”   

 Name your greatest success ( or something you're most proud of ) in your business experiences.

 “I was really proud of the Young Thug cover and everything that happened, as well as the cover story with Gucci Man when I was at my old job. I was also really proud for the idea of the Afro Beach cover and writing about those artists before, it was cool. I am a pretty decent person around the people I encounter. Someone tweeted “You may not get credit for everything you do”. I try to be helpful of other black people and I am proud of that.”

What resources would you recommend to a freelance writers just starting out?

“Social Media. On Twitter I follow Black Freelance Writers of Color they have a lot of calls and job posting for freelancers. Reading trade publications like Ad Age, WWD and also listening to podcasts.” 

What tool, object or ritual could you not live without in your workday and how do you prepare for in-person interviews?

“On the days I am home I clean before I start working, my mind functions better. The way I prepare for interviews is reading old interviews that I have done. I try to find a niche about them and speak about that. Sometimes it can be viewed as flattering that you know so many things about person and you are not asking the same questions.” 

 “How does your talent give back to help/support the community?” 

(i.e.; for example your work with InStyle magazine profile about black influencers of Coachella post Beychella,)

“I do try to. It is a really big frustration sometimes the stories, I feel really matter. Like the piece I wrote for Instyle Black Influencers post Beychella. I think it’s a good story, but Cochella already had a “black problem". I don’t want to say click bait “inclusivity” and “diversity” but I didn’t pitch that piece, I was commissioned. I don’t think this kind of writing would have been in Instyle, maybe Essence Magazine.

It’s frustrating that its not a part of a larger conversation. Huffington Post, Latina, I feel like every publication should have that. It shouldn’t be created to fill a quota of diversity. I feel like we should make these things innate in the newsroom and have the opportunity to tell someone's story fairly”. 

More articles by Stephanie Strickland: @ Muck Rack

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